During my year abroad, I traveled to many cities across Europe. I soon realized that traveling solo was by far the most rewarding way to get to know a city. Naturally, I chose to stay in Hostels because I am a student and money can only stretch so far. I also wanted to meet people and be around other solo travelers. I also traveled with friends sometimes, from just one to a large group. In all of these situations, and every city I visited, I would not have had as positive experience if I hadn't chosen to stay in a hostel over a hotel room or Airbnb. There will be a time that these lodgings will be appropriate, but it is not now, at 21 years of age, as a person open to anything and anyone. Hostels are not what they used to be. They are certainly not dirty, overcrowded, unsafe and while there are horror stories, there is infinite opportunity for some of the best times of our lives, if you are prepared with the right attitude. Here are some reasons why hostel travel is absolutely necessary:
1. It's dirt cheap.
Apart from Couchsurfing, which is also a fantastic way to travel solo and meet people, but with very limited availability, staying in hostels is by far the most affordable way to travel. At beds priced from $15.00-$30.00 per night, depending on the city and how many people you are comfortable with in a room, you will be able to allot more funds for the fun stuff. Exploring a city means you won't be in your room much, likely just a place for your belongings and to sleep.
2. If you do a small amount of research, you will pick a hostel that you will love.
Hostelworld makes this very easy, with a well presented rating and comment system. If you are looking for a peaceful atmosphere, you will find many to choose from. If you are looking to party and go out on the town, there are even more. When I traveled I chose the 'party hostels', because I was open to a bit of that and figured others who had like minds and were outgoing would be there as well. I wasn't disappointed.
3. You will make friends, sometimes many.
As long as you don't sit in your bed all day and make an effort to be unfriendly, people will talk to you and you will likely end up having some great adventures together. Hostels provide a community, whether its in the well decorated smoke-room in Amsterdam, included continental breakfasts, drink deals at the bar, planned nights out to clubs, or even a cheap and tasty Spanish homemade dinner for anyone who wants it.
4. You won't be shy anymore.
If you are shy, or new to solo travel, the environment of the hostel will bring you out of your shell and force you to be outgoing. In Athens, I knew if I didn't reach out and introduce myself to people, I may not be able to do some things that I wanted to. If I hadn't forced myself to be outgoing, as I am personally a rather shy person, I wouldn't have been able to go out after dark comfortably. I wouldn't have gotten to know locals, enjoyed many meals with others (because eating alone is possibly the most depressing thing and meals should always be more than just food), and learned about many different cultures and homes of the new friends I made.
5. You get to travel to many cities for the price of one.
Everyone I met and spent time with was not from Andover, MN. Most were not American. Some didn't speak a lot of English. I am a better person because of the people I met at hostels, am still in contact with some and others left impressions that run more deep than the most beautiful aspects of the visited city. One group of friends I met invited me to come travel with them later that year. I did. Due to their influence, I tried surfing in Lisbon, something I would never have thought of doing, and loved every second.
6. You will see more of the city.
People travel to cities for different reasons, and want to do different things. You will likely find comrades to accompany you to do whatever you planned, but you will also have the opportunity to try things outside of your plan. Being spontaneous is key. I decided that I was going to have the mindset of saying 'Yes' to everything someone asked me to do, and every activity the hostels organized. Because why not? Learning about a city is why we travel, but learning things about yourself by doing new things is how we grow.
7. You will not get as lost.
Sometimes, getting lost in a foreign city is ideal and ends with success and beauty, but it isn't practical if you are trying to see specific sites. If you are horrible at navigating, even with a map, like me, this is key. In Athens, I spent at least an hour trying to find the Archeological museum, with a super handy app called 'CityMapsToGo', and despite the great app and my effort, could not and went shopping instead. Later, to my chagrin, some new friends told me they saw me on the street, lost, just after they departed from said museum, having found it together. If I had been more forthcoming, I could have discovered an unknown passion for archeology and now we may never know.
8. They are clean enough.
While some hostels may be a bit run-down or on the older side, most have advanced technology and a plumbing system that works as well as any other. While the shower floor might be wet all of the time, and beds a tad uncomfortable, this is a small discomfort in relation to many delights and if you are too high maintenance, I don't understand how you survived a college dorm lifestyle or any locker room ever in your life. If there is a problem, staff are always friendly and it is their job to help, so let them know and don't dwell on the little things.
9. People are naturally not awful.
While there are many cases of stolen belongings, as long as you follow the hostel guidelines and lock your things in the lockers they provide, you will likely not be a victim of theft. The instances I have heard about were not the fault of a hostel's lack of safe storage, but people's own careless behavior or drunkenness. Buying a lock is worth it and many hostels now have high-tech, digital systems for locking luggage. Other people have stuff too, and at all seven hostels I stayed at, never had a single thing stolen, even when leaving inconsequential things unlocked.
10. They welcome nomads of all walks of life.
Most people who stay in hostels are young adults, perhaps studying abroad or just backpacking for fun. There are however, exceptions. Some of my most influential conversations were with older adults, taking back their youth and adding a colorful diversity to the hostel community. Wanderlust is a real emotion and being surrounded by others who feel the same insatiable desire to see the world will feel like home wherever you go.
